Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking Happens Here.  Every Day.  

It's Time to End It.

A young woman named Brittany was at the mall near her home and was approached by a man who claimed to own a local restaurant.  He gave Brittany his business card and told her to call if she wanted a job as a waitress. Brittany needed the money and arranged to meet the man. Instead of taking her to the restaurant, the man drove Brittany to a nearby hotel where he held her at gun-point for three days.  She was forced to drink bottles of vodka, take pills that made her dizzy and disoriented, and have sex with over 60 men. After the third day of being held again her will, Brittany finally managed to escape. She was one of the lucky ones.  Like many other women and girls in our area, Brittany was the victim of human trafficking.  Brittany is a real person and her story is a scenario that plays out every day in the Greater Philadelphia region.

Victims of trafficking are tricked, lured, coerced, or otherwise removed from their home or country, and then exploited for commercial sex or labor purposes. Right now, human trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the world. It is a crisis taking place across the United States with traffickers exploiting both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. Pennsylvania is not immune to this crime - it is happening all over our state, including Philadelphia and surrounding counties.

Approximately 80% of human trafficking victims are women and girls.

WOMEN'S WAY became involved in working to end human trafficking because it is a crime that drastically impacts women.  Studies indicate that the average age for a U.S. female to be forced into sex trafficking is only 12 years old.

The Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition is working to assist victims, bring traffickers to justice, and end this horrific crime that is plaguing our city and state. This broad coalition includes social service agencies, law enforcement, government agencies, faith-based groups, and advocacy organizations. WOMEN'S WAY is leading the advocacy sub-committee of the coalition. 

WOMEN'S WAY is thrilled to announce the passing of the The National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline Act (HB 235/SB 338).  This bill, passed in October 2012, will help trafficking victims escape their situation by requiring certain establishments to post the 24-hour hotline number. This life-saving bill went into effect on December 24, 2012.